NIAMS Update May 2013

May 23, 2013

The NIAMS Update is a monthly digest published for those interested in the latest scientific news and resources on diseases of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin. We encourage further dissemination of this resource.

Office of Science Policy, Planning and Communications(OSPPC)
Communications and Public Liaison Branch(CPLB)niamsinfo@mail.nih.gov

Training and career development are essential components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NIAMS missions. This month’s letter focuses on two trans-NIH efforts that will be preparing the next generation of biomedical and behavioral researchers for productive careers improving the health of the American public.

Taking on the Challenge of Better Biomedical Workforce Data
The primary goal of the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group was the creation of pathways through undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training that provide excellent preparation for biomedical research careers in a timely fashion, and that ensure future U.S. competitiveness and innovation in biomedical research.

The 2014 NIAMS Congressional Justification
When the president submits his budget to Congress each year, the executive branch agencies provide a document called the Congressional Justification. The Congressional Justification submitted by the NIAMS complements the president’s budget request by explaining the Institute’s mission, highlighting recent research accomplishments and future initiatives, and providing comparative budget data for the previous, current and upcoming fiscal years. Brief descriptions of the Institute’s Extramural and Intramural Research Programs are also included, along with overviews of key research support activities. Additionally, a series of Program Portraits are included that highlight accomplishments and future directions of selected activities funded by the Institute. To view the fiscal year 2014 NIAMS Congressional Justification, or to access archived documents from previous years, please visit the NIAMS website.

Enhancements to the NIAMS Image Gallery
The NIAMS continues to enhance the variety and number of images made available to the public. The photos and illustrations within this online searchable database can be used for educational, news media or research purposes, but should not be used for promoting commercial products or services.

NIH Director’s Blog

DNA’s Double Anniversary
April 25 is a very special day. In 2003, Congress declared April 25 as DNA Day to mark the date that James Watson and Francis Crick published their seminal one-page paper in Nature describing the helical structure of DNA. That was 60 years ago. In that single page, they revealed how organisms elegantly store biological information and pass it from generation to generation; they discovered the molecular basis of evolution; and they effectively launched the era of modern biology.

Reprogramming Genes to Keep Joints Healthy
Our joints are pretty amazing marvels of engineering, but they don’t last forever. As we age, or if we suffer certain injuries, the smooth, slippery white cartilage covering the ends of our bones begins to fray and degrade. This causes osteoarthritis (OA), or “wear-and-tear” arthritis. As the cartilage thins and disappears, the bones can even grow spurs that grate against each other, causing swelling and pain.

Source: National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH

An Evolving App for Genetic Tests
We all hope for health care in the genomic era to become as easy and personal as a smartphone app. And perhaps at some point it will be. At some medical centers, electronic health records already include a list of patients’ genetic variations that might trigger harmful drug reactions and send “pop-up” alerts to warn the physician or pharmacist. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a harbinger of things to come. Our big challenge is to translate all the new discoveries and data from the genome project into a format that physicians and other health care providers can use to improve health.

Other Federal News

FDA Wants Your Opinion on Dairy-Product Labels
If you’re a lover of chocolate milk, but want to watch your weight, you might reach for the carton labeled “reduced calorie.” But dairy manufacturers would rather the carton simply say “chocolate milk.” In a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they say that labels such as “reduced calorie” or “no added sugar” are a turn-off to kids. What is the petition asking for? Why are consumers a bit confused? The FDA wants to hear from consumers on this issue, but also wants to ensure that they understand the exact nature of the proposed labeling change.

NIH Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
The NIH’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series offers weekly lectures every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Masur Auditorium, Building 10, NIH Campus. Renowned scientists from around the globe present research on a variety of topics. The lectures are continuing medical education certified, open to the public and available live via webcast.

Upcoming lectures:

June 12, 2013The Annual G. Burroughs Mider Lecture
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, National Institute of Child Health and Development
“Navigating the Cellular Landscape With New Optical Probes, Imaging Strategies and Technical Innovations”

June 26, 2013
Jeffrey Gordon, Washington University at St. Louis
“Exploring the Human Gut Microbiome: Dining in With Trillions of Fascinating Friends”

NIH Science Lectures and Events Available Online
The NIH hosts a number of science seminars and events that are available online through real-time streaming video. An event can be watched at your convenience as an on-demand video or a downloadable podcast. Most events are available to all; a few are broadcast only for the NIH or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and are marked as such. See additional details on events.

NIH Research MattersNIH Research Matters is a review of NIH research from the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director, NIH.

NIH News in Health
Read practical health information in NIH News in Health, which is reviewed by the NIH’s medical experts and is based on research conducted either by the NIH’s own scientists or by its grantees at universities and medical schools around the country.

On Sound Footing: The Health of Your Feet
Your feet are pretty small, considering they have to support the entire height and weight of your body. But they can cause big problems. So pay some attention to your feet.

PCORI Announces Two Funding Opportunities
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) issued two funding announcements for up to $68 million to improve the nation’s capacity to efficiently conduct patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). The two linked cooperative agreement funding announcements will support development of a National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network designed to unite millions of patients through a coordinated collaboration with researchers and health care delivery organizations. These PCORI Funding Announcements correspond to PCORI’s fifth priority area, “Accelerating Patient-Centered and Methodological Research,” from its National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.

If you would like to review information about funding opportunities more frequently than our monthly updates allow, see the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, the primary source for information about NIH funding opportunities. You can also request a weekly Table of Contents from the NIH Guide.